Skip to content
Go to Home Page
News

The TWA Hotel's Stunning Rooftop Pool Will Be a Planespotter's Paradise

Brendan Dorsey
Articles
Brendan Dorsey is an Associate News Editor at TPG who covers nearly everything for TPG including aviation, credit cards, points, miles, ride-hailing services and more. He previously worked for TIME.
April 23, 2019
•
4 min read
twa-hotel-pool
The TWA Hotel's Stunning Rooftop Pool Will Be a Planespotter's Paradise
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

The only thing better than a truly great airport hotel? One with a rooftop pool offering uninterrupted tarmac views.

The TWA Hotel at New York-JFK, which will welcome its first guests in May, just released renderings of its roof deck pool — and it's absolutely stunning.

A rooftop infinity pool and observation deck designed for diehard planespotters, travelers can post up on a pool chair to watch the traffic on JFK's runway 4L/22R. After it debuts on May 15 along with the rest of the hotel, the rooftop facilities will remain open 365 days a year. (Don't fret: The heated pool can be warmed to a balmy 100-degrees for guests who want to enjoy the space even on the coldest winter day.)

A rendering of the TWA Hotel's rooftop pool and observation deck. Image courtesy of the TWA Hotel.

“Our rooftop pool provides a JFK-runway view that rivals an air traffic controller’s vantage point,” Tyler Morse, CEO and managing partner of MCR and MORSE Development, said in a statement. “There’s simply no better place for planespotting — and enjoying a cocktail — in the world.”

In addition to the pool, the 10,000-square-foot observation deck will feature a full bar with special cocktails like the Mile High Spritz (vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, fresh lime juice and prosecco) and the Watermelon Collins (Aviation gin, watermelon and lemon juices, agave and club soda). Guests will also have access to a food menu served from a full kitchen.

While sprawled out on a lounge chair sipping a cocktail, you can expect to see all types of aircraft, from a JetBlue A320 or Delta 737 to heavies such as a Lufthansa or Etihad A380.

Fortunately, you don't have to check in as a guest to check out the rooftop deck, although you will have to make a reservation in advance to book a spot.

The rooftop pool and observation deck are just the cherry-on-top of this monument to the Golden Age of air travel. The TWA Hotel's lobby will be located inside the iconic TWA Flight Center built by Eero Saarinen in 1962. The Flight Center has undergone extensive renovations, including the rebirth of the terminal's original Paris Café, this time run by world famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Sign up for our daily newsletter
The TWA Flight Center. (Photo by Max Touhey/TWA Hotel.)

The hotel will have six restaurants and eight bars including one inside a restored TWA Lockheed Constellation.

The TWA Hotel's Lockheed Constellation full assembled. Image by Aaron Flacke / MCR Development.
The TWA Hotel's Lockheed Constellation will feature a bar and restaurant. (Image by Aaron Flacke/MCR Development.)

“You’re going to feel like you’ve walked back into 1962,” Morse told TPG for previous story. “It’s going to be a full theatrical experience down to the uniforms, gift bags and the food that we serve."

The 512 guest rooms will be decked out in TWA swag, too — some even will have views of the runway.

A mock room at the TWA Hotel. Photo courtesy of the TWA Hotel.

The hotel is now accepting reservations, but unfortunately, it's not part of a larger chain so you won't be able to redeem hotel points for nights at the property. You're better off paying with a card like the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and redeeming miles against the purchase if you want a "free" or discounted stay.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.